The First Factories Act

In 1875, the first committee appointed to inquire into the conditions of
factory work favoured legal restriction in the form of factory laws. The first
Factories Act was adopted in 1881. The Factory Commission was appointed in 1885.
The researcher takes only one instance, the statement of a witness to the same
commission on the ginning and processing factories of Khandesh: "The same set of
hands, men and women, worked continuously day and night for eight consecutive
days. Those who went away for the night returned at three in the morning to make
sure of being in time when the doors opened at 4 a.m., and for 18 hours' work,
from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m., three or four annas was the wage. When the hands are
absolutely tired out new hands are entertained. Those working these excessive
hours frequently died." There was another Factories Act in 1891, and a Royal
Commission on Labour was appointed in 1892. Restrictions on hours of work and on
the employment of women were the chief gains of these investigations and
legislation.